Current-tap.



R. B. BENJAMIN. CURRENT TAP.

APPLICATION IVILED JUNE 24, 1907.

Patented Apr. 25, 19,11.A

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

57 Inv E11 mr' M 05' EB M WI REEEEE:

B.. B. BENJAMIN.

CURRENT TAP.

APPLIGATION FILED 11111224, 1907.

990,418. Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7 Wil-11255125: InvEnImr 11m I @MM/@zg A cllitmcy concern:

CURRENT-TAP. V

.#Be it known: thatl I, REUBEN a c itizen of the -United States, 4'residing at Chicago,.in the county of lCook and State of'xlllmois, have invented new. and useful lmprovenientsin Current-Taps', ofn whichthe .following is a' full,.clear, conclse, and

"Structl y p mannergthat. the main body. portion -theieo-g from which. theconductor twires'; lead, ifloesf'i exact description, reference being had to the accompanying. drawing, forming .a part of this specification. v n

y Myinvention relates tocurre`nt'taps,more particularly current taps which are em#v ployed in connection with incandescent lamp receptacles where it is desired to connect an,

auxiliary circuit for other translating de'- viceswith themain lighting circuit Without sacrificing illumination by. a lamp 'at the particular socket or receptacle Awhere it is Adesired to ytap the current.

My invention consists in improvedy features of construction and arrangement,

Wherebythis desirable result maybe readily accomplished. f

Current taps ofthe class to which .my C

invent-ion relates .are adapted to" beused mostly by persons not skilled in theiart and y. are therefore preferably of a construction which will not necessitate complicated con` l'ductor wire connections.

In the-employment of such devices of the prior art,. diiiicult'y frequently-arisesin att-aching the de-` vice'Y to the. main circuit receptacle, theI elec.-

ingtwi'sted, tangled andknotted to 'such an extent that the general good appearance of duct-ors from thel device;A My-inventio'n ynot only. removes l these disadvantages', but, since' the appearance'. of sucl1-devices, on account A offxthenatu're f of; their.. employment,y should be considered, itifsecuresithefdesinableemodes f off; operation' andi ithe- =featur.es fof a 'advanta geenemechanical` construction withoutilldis g'uringathedevice or.A d.v tnoying its metricagbappearaneer...A f, Y

e=-51 "o;-eliIn-lnate;dille f*diliculties'av vlii l presenteinydevices Tof l the gpriors art i e: device offmy-.inventioni-nesuch B. BENJAMIN,

' I specification of Letters Patent. f-Paten'ted Apr. 25,V 191 1v.` Application nieuwe 24,1%?. serialno. 330,519.

to the main circuit receptacle. .The .construction is such that the outer contact member of the plug portionv of the device is'I rotatable relative to the main `body portion. With this arrangement the outer contact,l which is adapted tomake mechanical and electrical engagement with the'corresponding contact ofV the main receptacle, is rotated without .causing similar movement ofthe main body portion, and, the electrical conductor wires being permanently attached to the main body portion,-it is evident that there Willbe no interference thereby when this connection is taking place. Themain'body portion consists of twol separable members,- one of which carries the plug4 andv rotatable.. lsleeve hereinbefore mentioned and .the other' of which carries thel receptacle for an incandescent lamp, terminals being-provided to which. an auxiliary circuit may-bel properly connected. l y .5; f 'l5 My invention is clearly 'illustratezdiin the accompanying drawings, in. which-fA f Figure 1 isa central longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 1;'1 of- 3.5211111 4, and looking in the-direction of the arrows;

2 is acentral longitudinal sectional.'v Y Itaken o'n-the line 2-1-,2 of Figs,l 3 andl -4and looking linVl the directiony indicated 4.by the llLQWS; Fig; 3 is a plan view of one'ofy v1. the' separable members of v the structure; Fig. .4 fis a view of the under lside of `the other trical yconductors leading therefrom becomf separablemember thereof; Fig. 5-is a plan viewof the device; Fig. 6 is a central longis tudinal sectional View of la modification .within the scope of my invention taken-on'-y the line 6-6 of'Figs 8 and 9, andlooking in thedirectionoof the arrows; Fig.f7 isa# central. longitudinal .sectional-view thereof .taken on the line i4-7l of Figs.l 8 and. 9, and looking in .the direction l.of the 1arrows jFig. 95 Seis a. viewof the under side ofvone o'f-\th.e;f` separable f T l embers fof. the. modified i FSrlgCf-g `tures and gig; c laeotlier isparab fniemberl. i 1' reference eli ;like or'. vs `n 1ilar.v S.;

vmembersl ofthe st-ructl'ire as hereinbefore,`

mentioned-.LA receptacle base 11-2isadapted y t the receptacle base 12, thus determining'the relative disposition of the two separable parts. y The bolt- 13 not only maintains themechanical connection between .the separable parts, but is also adapted to lconvey current aswill appear. The bolt -head connects, as shown, with the center contact 17 of the plug, or it may convenientl form the vcenter contact therefor," and t le-other end of the bolt in conjunction with the bushing v14 forms the center contact f the receptacle into which the incandescent lamp is'ad'apted to be inserted. A loose nut 18 may be provided'on the boltI 13 to prevent disengagement of the'bolt from the plug portion when the parts are separated, a suitable pit or depression 19 being provided in the plug base 710 to accommodate the same when the structure is assembled. v

The socket base 12has secured thereto the outer contact member 2O by means of the screws 21 and 22 which passl therethrough and through :che base on thecpposite side of which are disposed suitable members with Which-the screws have threaded engagement.

The screw 21 is provided with a nut 23 preferably sunk in the receptacle base l12, and' registeringwith a recess 24 in the under side of the plug base 10. The. screw 22 has threaded engagement with a r,plate 25 which forms one of the contact terminals of the auxiliary circuit and to which the proper conductor wire as' indicated at c may be connected by means of the binding screw 26. For the lpurposes of protection as is usual in the art, a metal inclosing shell or casing 27 mayv be provided about the Contact member 20, the same being suitably supported by means of inturned lugs '28, 28 provided' therefor and adapted when the device is assembled to rest within the pits 29, 29. To

properly attach the inclosing lcasing 27 to the receptacle base, slots 30, 30 may be provided in the base in which the lugs 28, 28 ma be passed, the lugs being then adapted to ge raised to the upper surface of the receptacle base and turned about to register with and be disposed within the pits 29, 29. An vinsulating lining 31 may be provided Within the inclosing casing for further protection.

"The movable outer contact member of the.

plug is here shown at 32 as a shell or-sleeve. Formed thereonis the annular shoulder 33 against which a rin or collar 34 of hard rubber or other insu ating material may be disposed, the shell or sleeve being' then .flanged over the ring or collar 34 at 35 to secure `rigid and permanent attachment.

The plug 11 is stepped at- 36 to form a shoul- "clamping plate here shown is in the formiofa washer 37, the opening 'therein corresponding to the shape of that part of the plug extending therethrough. Screws 38 and 39 pass through apertures in the plate and extend through the plug base to the other side thereof where they engage with suitable threaded members. Thus when the clamping plate is in place, an annular groove is formed, in which the inwardly extending portion on the outer contact is rotatably disposed. The screw 38 is provided with the nut 40' which is preferably sunk wit-hin the.

recess 41 in the plug'base and the screw 39 has threaded engagement with the plate 42 which also acts as an electrical ,conductor and a connector to which the other conductor c of the side or auxiliary circuit may be secured by means of thebinding screw 43. This plate rests within a chamber 44 which also accommodates the conductorwires c and c which enter through the slot 45 provided in the side wall of the plug base.A A chamber 46 is `also provided in the plug base to accommodate the plate 25 on the receptacle base and the parts carried thereby with which it registers when the separablev members are assembled. The disposition of the screw 21 andthe plate 25 relative to the accommodating chambers in the plug base, when. the parts are assembled, is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Thus the plug base and plug and the receptacle base and receptacle when assembled forma rigid unitary structure with the sleeve 32 rotatably mounted thereon; 'When it is Adesired to con'nect the device with the main circuitreceptacle the plug is inserted therein andthe outer contact -is rotated by grasping the rubber collar orring so as to screw the same into the receptacle to cause mechanical and electrical engagement therewith. Current is conveyed from the sleeve 32 to the? plate42 which forms one of the auxiliary circuit terminals, by means of the clamping plate 27 and the screw 3G contacting therewith.

It is apparent of course, that' the relative'` connections may be varied to secure any; deslred clrcuit arrangement. The auxiliary circuit conductors are led through the 'slot 45, one into 'thecllamberll'llf to connect with the plate 42 on one of .the separable members` .Y

and the other into the chamber 46 to connect with the plate. 'ton" theother separable member, this arrangement :affording means whereby the proper connection of the circuit wires may be conveniently Seciiredjjtiu be seen that that part of the st ru'cturecarrying the auxiliar-y circuit" wires `does not rotatev whenthedevice is being inserted iiito the main :circuit receptacle, thus entirely eliminating the undesirable characteristics and disadvantages of most of the prior artstructures, hereinbefore pointed out.

- necessary or desirable.

In Figs; 6 to 9 inclusive, I have illustrated 'a, modiication wherein the reference characters of the various parts are the same as the reference characters applied to analogous arts of thestructure shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, ,the broad Construction being the same. This modified construction is par;

'ticularly adapted for outside employment or base having an opening to accommodate tapping conductors, a lamp-receiving socket carried thereby, a plug extending from said base, anda threaded outer Contact rotatable 4with respect to said plug.' 4

2. In current tap, an. insulating base formed in two partsfa lamp-receiving shell carried by one lof said parts, a plug formed on the other of said parts, a threaded contact shell arranged to rotate about said p lug, a bolt extending through the partsof said basefor rigidly securing the same together and conducting currentfrom the center contact of said plug to the center contact of said4 shell, a binding-screw carried by each of the parts of'said base, one 'of said base parts havingan opening for the passage therethrough of conductors. 1 3. Ina current tap, a two-part insulating. base so formed as'to provide a chamber between the parts, a plug'on one side of said base, a lamp-receiving device on the opposite side of said base, center and outer conbinding terminals located in the chamber said plug electrically tacts 'for said plug, the outer contact lbeing rotatable with respect to said plug, andi1 o said insulating base and'arranged to be electricallyconnected with the center and outer contacts of said plug.

4. In acurrent tap, a two-part insulating base soformed as to provide a chamber between the parts, a plug on one side of said base, a lamp-receiving device on'the opposite side of said base, said lump-receiving device having a center contact and a 'threaded' lamp-receiving shell, a center contact for connected with the center contact of said lampreceiving device,

- an outer contact-for said plug: rotatablydi'sposed thereupon,`and binding.,terminals located in the chamber of "saidiiisu'latfing btise,

a said binding terminals being 'connected with the outer contact of said plug and' the threaded shell of said lamp-receiving device.

5. In a current tap, an insulating base having a plug formed thereon, a center contact on said plug, a corrugated contact shell surrounding said plug and rotatable with respect thereto, said plug being so formed as to provide a space between the side thereof and said shell, an inturned flange on said shell, a washer plate having an aperture therein of corresponding shape to said plug,

ysaid washer plate surrounding said plug and overlying said flange, a screw extending throughsaid plate and said base, and a binding-screw electrically connected with said screw.

6. In a current tap, an insulating base carrying a plug, a'metallic corrugated shell s'u1. rounding said plug and having its inner end inwardly fianged, a washer plate surroundingsaid plug and resting upon the inwardly flanged end of said shell and screws disposed between said plug and said shell and extending through said insulating base for securing saidplate in position, whereby said shell is held on-said base Vand permitted to rotate about said plug, and electrical connection is made between said shell and saidscrews, and a binding terminal electrically -connected to one of 'said screws.

7 In a current tap, the combination with a lamp-receiving device and means for the attachment of leading-out conductors, of a non-circular plug, a washer plate surrounding-said plug and non-rotatable with respect thereto, an outer contact member rotatable about the'plug and 'having its inner end inwardly flanged and lying under said plate, and means `for retaining said plate on said plug. i

8. Ina current tap, in combination, a base formed with a flattened plug portion,'a lamp socket receiving base, center contacts carried by said lamp socket receiving base and said plug, a screw passing through said bases for securing them together and electrically connecting said center contacts, an outer contact rotatably mounted upon said plug vand having its lower end constricted,.a washer plater having an aperture therein of corresponding shape to said plug, said washer plate being arranged to surround said plug and engage over the constricted portion of said outer contact `to retain the latterl in place, a. terminal plate arranged to be carried by the under side of said first-named base, a screw-passing through said washer. plate and said base andhaving threaded eniio iis

gagement withsaid terminal plate' wherebyv v vcured in position, a lamp-receiving'shell ar- In Witness-whereof, I have hereunto sub- 'rnnged to be carried by the under side of scribed'my name in the presence of two wit- `sad lamp socket/'receiving base, :1 terminal nesses. Y

plate arranged to be carried by the upper A REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. 5 side of said 'lamp socket recei-Vingbase, and y 'Witnessesz Y means for securing said last-named terminalv A. H. 'BOET'ioHElg plateundlamp-receving-shell together.-A A C. L. HOPKINS. 

